The Big Bang Theory, Explained by Muffin

Mental Floss is my new favorite magazine. And the latest issue has cemented its status for me with a feature called "Complicated Concepts Explained Using Kitchen Items."

The article gives an "In the Classroom" summary of the complicated concepts, then follows it with an "In the Kitchen" explanation. And it works! For the Big Bang Theory, we're asked to imagine blueberry muffin batter expanding in heat, the berries moving with the batter rather than floating in it. The muffin "represents the entirety of the universe" and the blueberries are the planets, stars, and other matter. "Beyond the edge of the muffin lies a vast abyss of nothingness," says writer Adam K. Raymond.

Other weighty topics discussed include Keynesian economics (risotto), string theory (spaghetti), the offsides rule in soccer (drinking OJ after brushing your teeth), and Existentialism (ketchup -- "In order to live a truly existential existence, ketchup must consider its own desires and not those of the dish it serves).